Will Future Pentagon Budgets Shrink?

U.S. Will See Military Budgets Shrink: Analysts
-- Defense News

WASHINGTON - Riding the crest of the longest defense buildup in its history, the U.S. military is heading into a funding crunch that will force wrenching change no matter who is elected president in November, analysts say.

Doubts about how the military will meet a range of challenges - from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to preparing for different kinds of conflicts in the future- have intensified with the upheaval on Wall Street.

Even before the world financial crisis, though, the Defense Department was bracing for shrinking budgets as the war in Iraq winds down and competing claims on the federal budget swell, analysts say.

"The [Department of Defense] is no longer going to have the luxury of not having to make choices," said Travis Sharp, an analyst with the Center for Arms Control Policy.

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My Comment: It is too early to talk about defense cuts. There are many variables on the international scene that can change everything in a flash.